One way you as an artist can sum up your talent and gain exposure for yourself in the professional realm is via a press kit. The press kit is your chance to brag about how great you are. You can include samples of your work, press coverage, and upcoming events where people can check out your work. All that you probably already knew. However, more and more creative industries are turning to the EPK (electronic press kit) as opposed to the paper assemblages. This is increasingly true with music and film.
Most independent filmmakers have been broken in by such services as Without A Box because currently most film festivals worldwide prefer paperless entries. And as a former film student, I'm not complaining. It has definitely saved me time and money. If you don't already know of this system's benefits basically for each of your films you can upload pertinent information for an online press kit as well as all the information that would possibly be required for festival applications. The downside of this system is that it doesn't generate a PDF document or link that you can e-mail to people. Only festival programmers with access to the system can be sent your film's information through the system. One positive is that although Without A Box does charge a fee for some levels; basic registration is free.
The music industry equivilant of Without A Box seems to be Sonicbids. This service is available to musicians, booking agents, managers, promoters and event organizers. It seems like a great way for artists to compile information about their musical style, including performance specs and music tracks. There isn't an option for free membership; but you can choose a monthly, 6-month or yearly membership. It costs about $50 for the year. However, you can e-mail your custom weblink to whomever you desire. That's a huge plus.
This year the Portfolio Center plans to organize a couple of events to discuss EPK and PDF portfolios in more detail. Be sure to check our website and click on theevents page frequently so you don't miss out.
